It's Quiet Uptown
by AdelineWrites
Summary: Magic brought her into creation and a powerful curse ripped her away but now she's back and she's not happy about it. Will Regina and Emma be able to make their long-lost daughter realize she's home? Or are they too late, is she already too far gone? *UPDATES EVERY SATURDAY
1. Chapter 1

"Regina we've been over this. Bear claws are a perfectly acceptable lunchtime alternative." Emma laughed warmly clutching a paper bag in one hand and a hot coffee in the other.

Regina walked beside her clutching Emma's elbow, shaking her head and trying to hold back a grin. This was a frequent argument in the Swan-Mills household and one that never failed to initiate a heated debate.

"It's perfectly acceptable, _if_ you don't mind dying at 40 from a heart attack." Regina quipped back quickly.

Emma threw her head back laughing happily and slid her arms around Regina's waist stopping her from walking any further. Emma leaned down and whispered into her ear playfully,

"You're not getting rid of me that easily love."

She pressed a quick kiss against the older woman's cheek, shifted her coffee and pastry to the same hand and then entwined their fingers together and continued to walk. Regina continued to shake her head, a smirk playing on her lips and gave Emma's hand a loving squeeze.

They continued to walk in peaceful silence listening to the waves hitting the pier and the hungry seagulls squawking above their heads. They reached a bench that had been dubbed 'their bench' and sat down. Emma pulled Regina's disgustingly healthy salad out of the paper bag and placed it to Regina's eagerly waiting hands.

"How has the station been today?" Regina asked watching amusedly as Emma dug into the sweet pastry and let out a small moan that made Regina's eyes darken considerably. Emma noticed immediately as she turned to answer and just smirked knowingly.

"It's actually been surprisingly quiet to be honest. Dad's actually going to leave early to pick up Neal from school so he'll be thrilled about that. What about you? How's your day been?" 

Regina huffed and rolled her eyes, picking at her salad.

"I'm surrounded by incompetent idiots. Alana has double booked me for the rest of the week and so now I have to negotiate with either the town council or the financial committee to move their Friday meeting" She replied with a huff.

"Don't be too hard on her, she seems like a sweet girl" Emma replied carefully.

"You only like her because she's always happy to tag along as one of your drinking buddies" Regina retorted narrowing her eyes.

Emma laughed unapologetically,

"Guilty as charged."

Regina rolled her eyes and though she would never admit it out loud Emma's lighthearted antics never failed to brighten her day. The pair sat quietly together enjoying a few peaceful moments out of the regular hustle and bustle of day to day life.

This bench had become an important part of the pairs daily routine and even more vital part of their marriage.

…

 _Ten years ago…_

 _The morning was quiet as Emma and Regina lay entangled together, the quiet calm that came from this time of day was broken as Regina's morning alarm pierced the air. Emma groaned and tightened her arms that were wrapped around Regina's waist. She felt Regina start to stir as she reached over and turned off the alarm._

" _Good morning" Regina said quietly as she turned in Emma's arms until they were face to face. Emma grunted in reply and burrowed her face further into the other woman's hair._

 _Regina started to pepper Emma's face with kisses and when she reached her lips they were already turned upwards in a reluctant grin._

" _Five more minutes" she murmured against her lips._

" _No deal" Regina replied smiling wickedly as she nuzzled further into the blonde woman's neck. Emma rolled over onto her stomach and groaned again into her pillow. Regina rolled with her so that she was partially lying over exposed back and laughed in her ear while softly stroking Emma's hair to the opposite side of her head so she could press her lips against the younger women's cheek._

" _Besides," Regina husked in her ear "there's someone who is going to need your attention any moment now."_

 _Emma perked up at this, rolling quickly again and grabbing a hold of Regina's waist to keep her partially on top of her._

" _and who might that be?" Emma said seductively grinning at the brunette above her. Regina slowly leaned down and whispered_

" _Your daughter." With that statement, she pressed a final firm kiss upon Emma's lips and started to move off the bed._

" _Oh, so she's my daughter, now is she?" Emma replied laughing. Regina just smirked and made her way into the adjoining bathroom. Emma rolled over into Regina's pillow and breathed in her comforting scent._

 _She couldn't keep a grin from taking over her face. Emma couldn't believe how perfect her life was in this moment. She had two amazing children and the most beautiful wife in the entire world. She was still grinning when Regina made her way back out of the bathroom and towards the door snapping_

" _Emma. Grace isn't going to get herself ready for daycare."_

 _Still grinning, Emma laughed,_

" _I'm going, I'm going."_

 _Regina continued to walk through the door, presumably to get Henry organized for school and most importantly make Emma her morning cup of coffee. Emma finally got out of bed and made her way down the hall to the nursery remarking quietly to herself how quiet Grace was being this morning. The door was shut as usual and Emma quietly pushed it open to reveal a completely dark room courtesy of the blackout blinds that had recently been installed in an attempt to combat the increasingly early sunrises as Summer drew closer._

 _Still, it was unusual that Grace had yet to wake as she was a notoriously early riser. Emma made her way routinely to the curtains and began to push them to their respective sides._

" _Good morning sunshi-" Emma began to croon before stopping abruptly. The crib was empty. With a feeling of her heart rising through her throat Emma made her way closer to the crib to see the only item present to be Mopsy. Grace's beloved stuffed rabbit._

 _Emma felt the world spinning and she grabbed the wall to steady herself. She pushed off and quickly made her way down the hallway crying,_

" _Regina!"_

 _She made her way through all the top floor rooms and ran down the stairs taking three stairs per step as she skidded towards the kitchen past Henry at the dining table leaning sleepily over a bowl of cereal and into the kitchen where Regina was flipping an omelet by the stovetop._

" _Emma it's your turn to-" Regina began to say as she turned towards the blonde, but she stopped when she caught sight of the petrified look upon Emma's face and her empty arms._

 _"Emma. Where's Grace?" Regina said trying to remain calm._

 _Emma muttered two words in reply._

" _She's gone."_

…

Emma and Regina sat on their bench in relative silence enjoying a few moments of quiet before one of them was inevitably called off their lunchbreak and back to work. It was peaceful and relaxing but it was also a double-edged sword. Both women dealt with the tragedy of losing their young daughter differently and these differences had almost destroyed their marriage in the beginning.

It was the pure stubbornness and determination that had kept the couple's relationship afloat and once they got past the stages of guilt, denial and anger all that was left was each other. Henry left for his adventure shortly after Grace's abduction. He found it unbearable to stay in a house that was so torn apart by unrelenting sadness and grief.

Shortly after Henry left, Emma and Regina reluctantly agreed to see Archie Hopper. It had been a combination of Henry's absence, Snow's unrelenting pestering and pure desperation that had resulted in the couple's agreeance. Said sessions had turned out to be the saving grace of their marriage and without a safe space to express their feelings of turmoil neither were sure how their marriage may have turned out.

Emma and Regina still attended a monthly session for any small issues but after 10 years and a funeral their grief had evolved. It hadn't lessened. Not at all. But it had become more manageable, more controlled.

"What do you think she would look like now?" Emma asked faintly, the question erupting from her mouth before she could stop it.

There was no confusion as to who the 'she' being referred to was. Regina was quiet for a minute, so long Emma thought she wasn't going to answer the question.

"I don't know." She replied after a moment, "Her hair had started to darken when she-"She was cut off by a sob. Emma immediately reached for her, pulling her into a soft embrace. Emma entangled her hands into Regina's silky hair and held her tight.

"I'm sorry," Emma started but she was cut off by Regina.

"It's alright. You never have to be sorry for talking about her. I hope she would have had your blonde curls and eyes" She grinned wistfully. Emma laid her head on Regina's shoulder her mind running away from her with thoughts of what could have been. They had come such a long way since that day. Whilst they had threatened to be broken apart in the beginning in the end this horrific experience had brought them together in ways that they wish they had never had to have been brought together. In the end however no one on earth understood the pain and grief that had become a normal part of everyday life.

For Regina, the worst of the grief came in the dark, she could often lie in bed for hours staring at the ceiling. Her mind going a million miles an hour as Emma snoozed obliviously beside her. Emma's company helped immensely. Without her beside Regina at night she was sure she would never sleep. The choking gloomy shadows that came in the dead of night reminded Regina to much of her guilt. It was all encompassing, choking, unbearable. The what if's clouded her mind. Grace would have been turning 11 this year. The possibilities of what could have been were overwhelming. All the memories that were meant to be made. The hugs yet to be given and the thousands of smiles she had been meant to receive had disappeared in a single moment.

For Emma, the anguish reached its peak when her body stopped moving and her mind was left to its devices. In the ten years that had passed since that faithful morning where Emma had found an empty crib, Emma found that if her feet were moving her mind was quiet. This had led to Emma's fitness levels going through the roof. Emma went for a 6-mile run every morning and night. She never missed a day. It was moments like this were Emma was forced to be present and quiet that the thoughts infiltrated her mind.

It was the unknown that was the most torturous for the women. Dead or alive, they just wanted to know. Emma often wondered where Grace was? What she was doing? If she was happy? She knew that this outcome was unlikely but she had always been a dreamer and hope wasn't easy to quash.

Her musings were broken when she heard Regina's phone buzzing from her pocket for the 15th time in the space of 30 minutes she rolled her eyes in an exasperated manor and removed her phone from her pocket. 

She rolled her eyes again, "Just as I expected, it's just Alana being incompetent as usual. I swear she can't even make a copy without needing divine instruction." She muttered exasperatedly. Emma hid her grin in her scarf because she knew it was true. Regina stood and stretched her arms above her head letting out a very un-Regina like groan. Emma started giggling and began to pack their lunch.

"I'm sorry is something amusing Miss Swan? I believe this is your fault. Never again will I listen when you say that _cross fit_ is relaxing" she said crossing her arms and looking irritated. Emma let out a loud laugh that echoed across the empty dock and stepped forward to intertwine their fingers and bring Regina closer into a soft kiss. At first the other woman was relatively unresponsive but eventually Emma felt the beginnings of a grin on the older woman's lips. Their lips moved in tandem, the kiss getting more heated the longer time went by.

It was interrupted by Regina's phone buzzing for the _16_ _th_ time.

"For crying out loud!" Regina exclaimed breaking away and pulling the phone roughly out of her pocket. She answered the phone in an agitated fashion and hissed down the line,

"Miss Everett. If you can't handle my absence for one hour you are more incompetent than I originally thought. Deal with it." She finished the call aggressively and let her arms fall back around Emma's shoulders as she buried her face in her neck.

"I suppose real life can't wait today" Emma said regretfully, her arms coming wrapping around Regina's shoulders to return the hug.

"I suppose not." Regina replied shortly.

"Hey! It'll be okay! There's only a couple more hours till work will be done and when you get home I _may_ have a surprise for you" Emma said grinning cheekily.

"Hmm," Regina said sultrily, "A surprise you say? What does this surprise involve?"

"I guess you'll have to get through the day without firing Alana to find out" Emma replied laughing lightheartedly as she dodged Regina's hands as they attempted to hit her arm. Regina shook her head and tried not to look amused. But it didn't work. She couldn't hide from Emma.

The pair began the walk back down the pier. It had quickly become _their_ place mainly due to the secluded nature of its placement. It was located at the end of an abandoned fishery towards the end of town in between the mayor offices and the station.

The was an old bench that was in surprisingly good condition considering its seaside location. From the bench, you could see the ducks waddling in the shallow waters and hear the seagulls screaming overhead. There was no place better to clear a head than sitting by the ocean and being enveloped by its salty breeze and listening to the gentle waves crashing against the piers foundation below.

As they neared the end of the pier the pair spotted a familiar sheriff car and blonde head sprinting down the waterfront.

"Hey" Emma remarked, "is that my Dad?"

The couple observed David standing roughly 300 feet away. He looked unexpectedly ragged and anxious. His gaze flitting and head snapping in every direction, while his hands raked through his hair in agitation. He appeared to be looking for someone and finally his frantic gaze settled on the couple and he visibly sighed in relief. He jogged over to them and appeared out of breath.

Emma opened her mouth to make a joke about David turning into an old man but as she opened her mouth, he breathed out a sentence that made the couples blood run cold.

"It's Grace, she's back."

AN:

I aim to update weekly every Monday. Reviews help more than you know and help my procrastination and motivation levels haha, so please if you have a spare moment consider leaving a review. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

"I am not going to ask again. Now you are going to let me walk through this door and see my daughter and you are going to let me do this right now." Regina said through her gritted teeth. Her eye's glinting dangerously, daring the doctor to object once more.

The interns face turned a dangerous color of grey, droplets of sweat gathering around his brow. His usual attitude of blasé superiority was long gone as he went head to head with Regina. He shakily wiped his temple with the corner of his shirt as he surveyed the woman standing in front of him.

He took a shaky breath and mumbled less confidently,

"As I have explained. The patient in this room is a part of an ongoing investigation Mayor Mills. As policy states, policy you implemented may I add. No unnecessary personal are permitted to have contact with patients whilst evidence is still being collected. _An-and_ if you cannot comply with hospital policy I will call security, and they will escort you off the premises."

The hallway went deathly silent. Eye's swiveling to the Mayor.

"So, you're telling me that you won't tell me how or where _she_ was found, what her condition is and you won't let her _mother_ who has not seen her daughter in 10 years into that hospital room. Because I am an _unnecessary_ person _._ Is that correct doctor?" Regina's voice sickly sweet and quiet. Oozing danger with every syllable.

The intern gulped and looked around the hallway like a trapped rat. Regina took a threatening step forward and opened her mouth to unleash a new tirade, but was interrupted by someone calling her name. She turned to see Emma hurrying down the corridor.

"Emma," Regina half cried as she saw her wife coming towards her. Emma grabbed Regina's shoulders and pulled her close against her chest, burying her face in the older woman's hair.

"He won't let us in to-" she started.

Emma pulled away rubbing her back comfortingly,

"I know, I've got Lance working on it."

It was only then that Regina noticed Charming and the new deputy officer Lance also standing in the hall arguing with the baby-faced intern a couple of feet away.

"They won't let me on the case because I'm too personally invested, but they're going to help us, it'll be okay" she said reassuringly, pulling Regina back into her arms and holding onto to her as if she was the only thing anchoring her to earth.

Emma led Regina over to the small group in time to her the stuttering Intern's pathetic attempt to issue his seniority.

"Just so you are aware Deputy, this is a direct viola-" the interns nervous rant was interrupted as three nurse's and Doctor Whale exited Room 206.

"Ahh Madame Mayor, Sherriff, I thought I heard your pleasant voices in the hallway." Whale smirked, his arrogant demeanor firmly in place.

Both Emma and Regina stepped forward ready to rip the abhorrent man to shreds but both paused as he smirked and opened the door he had just exited waving his other hand in a sweeping fashion.

Both women pulled away from each other and moved in immediate synchronization to the door, their hands grasped tightly together.

They stepped through the open door and just like that, there she was.

Emma stood frozen next to Regina in the doorway unable to move an inch. She distantly felt Regina's fingers tighten around her own and heard the small gasp come from the women next to her. Regina's hand moving up to cover her mouth.

After all this time, there she was. It was unbelievable to comprehend that she was actually in front of them. The moment she had dreamed of for the past 10 years was happening and somehow it seemed further away than ever. Impossible. Incomprehensible.

The room was typical of a hospital room. White walls. Beeping machines. Startlingly sterile. There room was accented by light wood cabinets. The same light wood covering a door to the right of the women which was most likely the bathroom. White curtains were closed over the large bay window that overlooked the street below.

The room was cast with a gloomy shadow that seemed to creep along the surfaces of the room, enveloping everything into its foreboding darkness. In the center of the room sat a hospital bed. It was only a small single however it seemed mammoth compared to the small bundle that lay still in the middle of the sheets.

There in the center of the bed lay a small lump, a human form barely visible. The body was enveloped by multiple stark white hospital blankets pulled high around the forms neck. A mop of dark brown curls the only thing indicating a human form beneath the woven threads. She lay facing away from the door, curled on her side.

Finally, the spell broke and Regina rushed forward around the hospital bed to where Grace lay. Her hands fluttered undecidedly as if unsure as to whether this was real or just a figment of her imagination, finally they settled gently against her face.

Emma walked over to join her wife and tenderly brushed the curls away from the girls face so they could better make out her features. She was asleep and oh so perfect.

Pale porcelain skin stretched across her skin, her dark rose lips pouting slightly as she slept. Her button nose was unmistakably Emma's and the long dark eyelashes that framed her face, unquestionably Regina's. The perfect combination of chaotic curls and chocolate colored hair further proved her parentage. There was no doubt as to who this child belonged too, she was a perfect mix of her mothers.

Regina leant down shakily and pressed her lips firmly against the Grace's temple and began to sob. Emma held her hand against the other side of Graces face, her other arm wrapped around Regina's shoulders and felt similar tears falling down her cheeks.

The two women stood in silence gazing upon there long-lost daughter. She was so familiar, so beautiful, so impossible; and yet here she was. Laying in front of them, finally safe.

With her slight frame being concealed underneath the woven hospital blankets it was impossible to make out any possible injuries. Although her face seemed slightly disturbed even in her sleep. Regina grappled for Emma's hand tightly her face displaying all the emotions that were coursing through Emma like a tidal wave. Elation, Confusion, Disbelief… _fear._

Regina turned to Whale still hanging onto Emma's hand for dear life, a look of total despair on her face.

" _What happened_?" The look of complete desolation was completely out of character for the normally regal Mayor. For once in his life Whale has the decency to take pity on the women before him and be professional in his response.

"She was airlifted to us this morning via helicopter from a hospital down in Florida. She presented with a fractured Humorous and Ulna and so she has a long arm cast, which means that the cast extends past her elbow up towards her shoulder. She also presented with a slight fracture in her Tibia so when she is discharged Grace will have to wear a walking boot for 6 weeks." Whale spoke in a hushed tone so not to disturb his slumbering patient.

"She was initially marked as Jane Doe but when the Hospital down in Florida ran her DNA through the system it was connected to a hair sample you provided she first went missing. They contacted us this morning and she was airlifted here this afternoon. Her medical records state that she was found one week ago and has remained unconscious since. Whale paused and made sure that the women understood what he was saying.

"She regained consciousness upon crossing the town line earlier this morning but it was brief and we were unable to engage her in conversation. We expect that she will regain consciousness anytime now. She also presented with minor lacerations to her face and extremities and she will need some extra care which will be discussed with you upon discharge but ultimately she is a very lucky girl."

"Lucky? You think she is lucky? She was abducted, now she's been who knows where experiencing who knows what. Half of her body is covered in casts, she has cuts all over her face and nobody even knows when she's going to wake up. And yet you have the gall to call her lucky." Emma spat the last word at the doctor breathing heavily.

Regina said nothing, agreeing with everything Emma had said. David walked over to Emma and pressed a kiss against her temple, his eyes shining with the knowledge of just how his daughter was feeling. Emma leant back slightly against her father, appreciating the silent support. Her mind grappling to understand all the information she had just received and the stupidity of the doctor in front of her.

Whale didn't seem to know how to respond to the women so Lance stepped in,

"The police down south were unable to uncover any information about her abduction. She was found by a cyclist on the side of the road in a ditch. Her injuries are consistent with that of blunt force trauma, almost as if she fell from a great height. This case has really stumped the officials down south. They can't believe she's still alive, no one knows how long she was out there. She was found hours after a tornado tore through Tallahassee. As you know tornado season finished in June so while they can occur at any time of year, the end of October is highly abnormal."

Emma and Regina were looking towards the young deputy with rapt attention.

"Meteorologists are also perplexed. The tornado appeared seemingly out of nowhere and was over in just two hours. By the time they were able to get equipment out there to survey the storm it had passed. It's almost as though it appeared by magic." Lance finished hesitantly.

Regina dropped into the chair behind her, her shoulders slumping forward.

"Random tornado appears and disappears and in its wake Grace reappears, that doesn't scream curse to me at all" Emma muttered sarcastically perching on the edge of Regina's chair.

"I guess that confirms that Grace was taken by magic, it wasn't a coincidence." Regina murmured forlornly, staring at the face of her daughter who seemed so familiar yet so alien.

It was quiet in the room for a few moments before Lance broke the silence,

"I'm going to head back to the station, I didn't get a chance to review the reports before I came here. At this point we need all the help we can get." He finished turning to David,

"David, are you going to stay here or do you want to hitch a ride back to the station with me?"

"No, no I'll stay here." David replied quickly, but Emma cut him off.

"No Dad, you should go."

As he went to argue, Emma interrupted again,

"Honestly we'll be fine here. Grace is asleep, we'll phone when there's an update. I'd rather you be down at the station helping Lance look over the reports. There may be some new clues about who's responsible for this." Emma said firmly.

Realising that his daughter had a point he gave Emma's shoulder a final squeeze and shot Regina a sad smile and followed Lance out of the door.

When the two women were alone again, Regina muttered a quiet "thank you" to her wife. Sighing softly and slumping further into the chair and resting her face in her hands.

Although Regina's relationship with Snow and Charming was no longer tumultuous it still wasn't comfortable and Emma knew her wife well enough to know that she'd want to process this all in private.

"Well if that's all I'll be going as well. Please page me if there is any change and I'll be here right away. I presume you'll both be staying the night, so I'll get one of the nurses to bring in a second chair." Whale offered the pair a hesitant smile and left as well. The door thudding closed.

The room was finally silent. The was air still and now the door was closed the darkness slowly started to sneak back throughout the room.

"Does it make me an awful daughter that I didn't want him to stay either?" Emma asked after a while.

"No Emma. Not at all." Regina said firmly.

Emma smiled softly at her wife, leaning down to give her a gentle kiss and then walking over to readjust the blinds so that they were more open.

The sunlight poured into the room immediately, stretching its rays into the far corners off the dark room attempting valiantly to chase away the darkness. Its attempts were in vain but at least the two women were once again able to make out Grace's features.

The two women sat steadfastly side by side drinking in the view of their long-lost daughter's face, attempting to memorise everything they possibly could about her. Knowing all too well that no moments were guaranteed and that time together can be taken away as swiftly as its given.

…

The afternoon faded into night and then into early morning through a blur of beeping monitors, vital checks and nurses passing quietly through the room. The two women sat in relative silence all afternoon, their minds racing a million miles an hour trying to absorb the shock of all that had happened during the day. Eventually Emma drifted into a restless sleep, lulled into a fitful sense of calm by the feeling of Regina's familiar hand wrapped around her own and the rhythmic beeping coming from the machines. Her eyes never leaving the small child that lay in front of her.

She awoke with a start. The room previously been cloaked with the dusky hue that comes as the sunsets in the afternoon was plaque in the misty darkness of dawn. Light seeped in from under the hospital door and through the curtained blinds that led to the hallway.

Emma turned to see Regina asleep, her hand still twined tightly with Emma's even in slumber. Emma lifted her free hand to rub her tired eyes in an attempt to clear the fogginess from her mind. As she became more aware of her surroundings her eyes flitted back to her slumbering daughter. Only instead of seeing the small child still unconscious she was met with two bright green eyes staring back at her curiously.

"Are you a doctor?" Grace asked shyly, her voice still thick with sleep.

Emma continued to stare open-mouthed at the small girl, unable to form a coherent reply. Her mind still groggy with sleep and unbelieving that her daughter was actually sitting in front of her. Awake. She couldn't help but notice the small girls accent. Hadn't they said she had been found in Florida? Her words were undeniably British. Her fingers involuntarily tightened around Regina's rousing the older women from her light sleep.

"Where's my Mom?" Grace continued, unperturbed by the women's lack of response. Grace began to try and sit up to look around the room. She looked down in confusion when her attempts of movement were halted by the bulky cast that encompassed the entirety of her right arm, she furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Emma what's-" Regina stopped speaking as she noticed who was awake.

"What happened to me? Where am I?" Grace asked starting to get upset, her eyes displaying her confusion and fear.

"Grace" Regina said in surprise before controlling her voice into a more soothing tone, "it's all okay." Regina started to say comfortingly. "You're in a hospital in Maine. You were in an accident but you're safe now."

Regina's voice choked up on the last word, her voice gentle and slow. The way one might talk to a trapped animal.

"Where's my Mum? Why won't you answer me?" Grace's voice was starting to increase in volume, seemingly choosing to ignore Regina's statement.

Regina and Emma looked wildly at each other unsure how to proceed. Regina stood and made her way towards Grace, her hand outstretched. Grace awkwardly started to move backwards in the bed until her back hit the edge of the hospital rails, her eyes wide with fear. She was unable to get far due to the constraints of her casts and restrictive hospital bed.

"She's dead. Isn't she."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement. When neither woman answered, all hell broke loose.

Emma gazed into the wide terrified eyes and couldn't help but feel a pang of familiarity. Staring into Grace's eyes was like staring into a mirror, they were an exact replica of Emma's. Both in looks and in the expression that Emma wore every time she had moved to a new foster home. That unbridled fear of not knowing what was happening or where you are was still so familiar to her, even after all these years of being out of the system.

"No don't touch me, I want my Mom! Mom!" Grace began to shout and look wilder around the room as if her mother would magically appear. The shouting child had drawn the attention from the hallway and as the two women were trying in vain to sooth the fearful child an unfamiliar doctor came running into the room.

"What happened!" He yelled.

"I don't know, she woke up and-" Emma didn't know what more to say, but it didn't matter because Harrison was paying no attention to her and instead was trying to get Grace to calm down. The heart rate monitor was going through the roof, beeping wildly as she struggled to get off the bed and away from the strangers. Grace's sobs echoed through the room piercing through the cacophony of nurses bustling around trying in vain to help. It was pure chaos.

As she was trying to get away Grace accidently slammed her head against the hospital rail and let out a loud wail. A nurse moved Regina out of the way and she stumbled into Emma's arms. The two women held each other tightly and watched the nurses and doctor attempt to get Grace to calm down and stop thrashing. This only made Grace more panicked and in the end Dr Harrison ended up shouting,

"Get me a dose of ketamine!"

A nurse immediately handed him a syringe,

"Hold her arm straight."

The nurses grasped Grace's arm and held her steady so that the doctor could administer the medicine. He carefully placed the tip of the needle into Grace's IV and pushed down the plunger. Grace continued to thrash and try and get away but she was no match to the many arms holding her down and the medicine that began to infiltrate her system. Slowly and gradually her movements began to slow, becoming more lethargic.

"No, Momm." Grace slurred and then she went still.

The room was silent except for the steady beep of the slowing heartrate monitor, everyone in shock over how quickly the situation had escalated. Then like nothing had happened the nurses began to bustle around, righting the bed and cleaning the fallen medical trays.

The doctor turned his attention back to Grace and walked over to her bedside. He lifted her head and began feeling around for any injuries resulting from the accident with the bed. Her head lolled in his hands, her expression peaceful. His hands paused over an area at the base of her skull and he gently felt around it with his brow furrowed in concentration. After his examination of her head, the women watched as he gently laid her back against the pillow and pulled out a small light. He opened the lid of each of her eye's and shone a torch quickly, watching carefully for pupil response.

"Well, luckily I don't think Grace has a concussion. Her pupil reflexes are excellent and there doesn't appear to be any doesn't appear to be any significant injuries to her head. She does have a bit of a bump and it will probably leave her with a headache when she wakes up but that should all that we need to worry about. However, just to be on the safe side we'll monitor Grace over the next couple of hours just to be sure."

The doctor continued his examination feeling behind her neck and checking her arms and legs for any new injuries, paying particular attention to her already injured limbs.

"Her casts seem stable and it doesn't look like there are any new injuries."

He finished his examination and made his way over to the two shell shocked women who had yet to move.

"I'm Dr Harrison, the on call physician tonight." He said holding out his hand and offering the two women a gentle smile.

Emma felt as though she was having an out of body experience and vaguely felt herself move her arm to give the doctor a limp handshake.

"What happened, may I ask?" 

Emma swallowed thickly and forced herself to give the doctor an answer.

"I woke up and she was laying there staring at me, I'm not sure how long she'd been awake. When she noticed that I was awake she started to ask me questions and I was just so shocked that I didn't know what to say. Then she started to ask about her Mom and I just-"

Emma couldn't finish and collapsed back into her chair covering her face with her hands and letting out a sob. Regina continued where Emma left off,

"She started to panic when she couldn't find her… Mom. She started to get upset and we tried to calm her down but nothing would help. Then she started to talk about how her Mom was dead."

"And then she lost it." Emma finished.

"Alright." The doctor said calmly, not wanting to upset the couple any further.

"When is she going to wake up?" Regina asked, her eyes still locked on her daughter.

"Well we gave her a sedative but it wasn't very strong so I would assume that she should wake in a couple of hours." The doctor replied.

"And when should she be able to be discharged?" Emma asked almost fearfully. The doctor hesitated,

"Well, physically she is well enough to leave any time now. However, it doesn't seem as if she would be able to mentally handle this situation effectively at this moment."

Neither woman was surprised by this.

"I would suggest that we get our psychologist to be here when she wakes to avoid having another situation such as this one."

Regina's eyes flicked to the doctor as he said this, her gaze narrowing.

"Are you saying we somehow caused this _doctor?_ Because I can assure you that-"

The doctor cut Regina off and held his hands up in an attempt to diffuse the building wrath coming from the brunette woman,

"No, no. That's not what I'm saying at all Madame Mayor. All I'm saying is that this is a highly peculiar circumstance and it's going to be a lot to comprehend. If the women she considers her mother is indeed dead she is going to be grieving and it doesn't sound as though she is aware that she was kidnapped as a child. I just think that having a professional here to explain it all would be easier for Grace to handle and make the transition smoother."

He finished looking slightly fearful of the Mayor. Regina swallowed and looked down,

"Yes. I suppose you are right." she finished quietly.

"Can you please contact Archie Hopper?" Emma asked. She looked to Regina for confirmation,

"We'd like him to be the one to tell her."

"Of course. We'll get this arranged. Sheriff, Madame Mayor."

Dr Harrison bowed slightly and then turned and left the room.

As he left Emma turned to Regina she searched her eyes wildly for answers to the millions of questions bubbling in her brain.

" _Regina._ What are we going to do?" Emma asked hopelessly and sat back against the chair. Regina slowly came over to sit beside wife, she squeezed herself into the chair next to Emma and threw her legs over Emma's lap to fit. She wrapped her arms around the blonde women tightly and pulled her face into her neck, feeling tears began to seep into her skin and fall onto her shirt.

She pressed a kiss to Emma's temple and whispered,

"I have no idea."

AN:

Hi! Thank you so much for the comments on my last chapter, I'm so glad people are enjoying it! I know I said I would post every Monday but I'm going on a holiday and won't be able to make the Monday deadline so you get an early chapter! I'll see how I go and may consider changing the posting day to Saturday. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next chapter will explore Grace finding out about her true identity.

If you have a spare moment no matter when you're reading this please consider leaving a comment, it would mean so much to me!


	3. Chapter 3

AN:

Just a quick disclaimer, I do not have a medical degree so if I have any medical terminology incorrect I apologise in advance. This story is definitely not going to be medically focused so you shouldn't have to put up with my medical writings for much longer. Thank you so much to everyone who has left reviews!

…

Emma stood leaning against the hospital window, watching the sun slowly begin to break through the horizon in the distance illuminating the sprawling forests of Storybrooke. It was now 7:00am and Grace was still unconscious. Blissfully unaware of all of the turmoil she would face when she awoke.

Archie had arrived early that morning after receiving many panicked texts from the women the night before. He agreed to come and help explain the situation to Grace in a way that the women hoped transition Grace as gently as possible into her new life.

Emma twisted her head from side to side hearing every vertebrae crack and release. Her back and neck were aching from the hours she had spent standing and sitting in the uncomfortable hospital environment. _You'd think that they would invest in some more comfortable chairs._

Emma turned to see Regina curled in said chair staring unseeingly at Grace who was still asleep. Her legs were bent underneath her body with one arm wrapped around her waist and the other resting on the arm of the chair, her hand acting as a prop to hold her head up. Emma walked the ten paces to stand behind her wife and lean down to wrap her arms around Regina's shoulders. She then pressed a long kiss to the side of her temple and breathed in the comforting familiar scent that was undoubtedly her wife.

Regina sighed and leant into Emma's embrace. 

"How are _you_ doing?" Emma asked quietly.

"I'm alright."

Neither woman had, had much of a chance to talk about how they were feeling. Everything was happening so fast.

Their conversation was cut short as they heard a soft groan and the rustling of sheets to their left. Both heads whipped immediately towards the hospital bed, Grace's legs were moving underneath the sheets and she blinked repeatedly against the bright light that was shining through the window. At first, she didn't seem to notice the two women in the room with her, she looked confusedly around for a moment before her gaze finally fell on Emma and Regina. Grace squinted in confusion before recognition overtook her face and she narrowed her eyes.

"Who are you?" Grace asked suspiciously, thinking to herself that it couldn't be a coincidence that the same two women were still waiting in her hospital room.

"Are you social workers?" She continued when she received no verbal response from the adults sitting in front of her. After another moment passed she sat further up in the bed and looked expectedly at the adults sitting in front of her, surely they would have to speak eventually.

Finally, Regina broke the silence.

"Uh, no. No, we're not social workers." She didn't expand any further on this statement.

Emma watched, her eyes welling as Grace scrunched up her face in further confusion, looking down at the bed. It was the exact face that Henry used to make when he was trying to figure out a complicated question. Grace pursed her lips in further frustration, lines appearing on her forehead as she continued to think.

"Then, who are you?" She asked after a minute, looking at her mother's curiously.

Emma swallowed hard,

"Well, Grace. We- uh we're your parents."

Regina whipped her head around to stare at Emma. This was not going to plan. Emma stared back at her wide eyed, appearing surprised that the words had left her mouth as well.

"Get out." Their mental conversation was broken as Grace spoke low and fast.

"What- no hone-" Regina immediately began trying to diffuse the situation but was interrupted as Grace cried even louder,

"GET- OUT!"

She rolled over facing away from the women and was enveloped by silent sobs.

Emma and Regina immediately rose to their feet and hesitated unsure of how to proceed. They didn't want to leave but they also didn't want to upset their daughter any further. The commotion from Grace's yelling sent Archie running into the room.

"What's going on?" He asked breathlessly, "Is everyone okay?"

"Get them out of here. Get them out." She said wildly feeling as though the room was closing in on her.

Archie turned to the couple who were still standing together shell-shocked besides the bed.

"Can I speak to you in the hall for a moment?" He asked them quietly.

Despite neither woman wanting to leave their distressed daughter they followed him into the hall. Once the door closed Grace's sobs were immediately silenced and the hallway was eerily quiet.

"What happened?" He asked, looking confused as to how he could walk away from the room for fifteen minutes and return to such chaos. Regina just stood there and looked to Emma, her arms wrapped around her abdomen as though it was the only thing keeping her from falling apart.

"I kind of told her that we are her parents." Emma said quickly, looking regretful and ashamed.

Recognition filled Archie's eyes and he was able to put the pieces together without hearing any more of the story. He licked his lips nervously as he began to think of a way to fix this situation.

He was quiet for a moment as were the other two women as they stood staring at anything but each other.

"Right." Archie finally said decisively. "Grace is obviously very stressed and confused. But she still needs to be told all the relevant information before she can go home with you. So, what I am thinking is that the easiest way to break this news to her will be if I tell her by myself and you two stay out here."

He paused waiting for any arguments. Neither woman looked happy but understood that their presence would not be helpful at the moment and a more neutral party may be more appropriate.

"Okay so if you're okay with this then what I'm going to ask you to do is pull up some photos on your phone. I use this technique in cases of amnesia and I find it's very effective to have visual representations of the things and people I'm talking about. So we'll start simple, could you bring me up a photo of your family and a photo of Grace as a baby."

Regina pulled out her phone and immediately began to find the requested pictures, put them in a folder and handed the phone to Archie.

"Okay well if it's alright with you, I'll head in now." Archie finished with a gentle smile.

"Wait," Emma interrupted "What exactly are you going to tell her?"

"The truth."

…

Grace lay facing away from the door staring out the window. She wondered about what it would be like to be like one of the people walking blissfully down the street, their world still completely intact. Hell, that had been her just last week. Running down the beach with her family following behind her. Not a care in the world. She could still hear their laughter, the giggles from her little brother trailing behind her.

Instead she lay trapped in a hospital room with half her limbs encased in casts, separated from her family who were most likely dead and at the mercy of two psychopaths who called themselves her mother. Grace swallowed thickly, _so this is what it feels like when your world crumbles around you._

Grace's inner musings were interrupted as she heard the door to her prison open. She steeled herself mentally preparing to fight off the psychopaths should they make another attempt at convincing her that whatever crazy comes out of their mouths is true.

She remained staring steadfastly at the wall refusing to acknowledge their entrance.

"Hello Grace." A gentle voice said as a person sat in a chair just outside her line of view.

She remained staring stubbornly out the window refusing to make eye contact with this new stranger. So, the crazy people had already given up, that was a surprise. She expected them to put up more of a fight. Well it didn't matter, until she figured out what on earth was going on she wasn't going to say another word. Everything was spiralling out of control, out of her control. But the one thing they couldn't make her do is speak, that at least was a power she was able to hold onto.

"My name is Archie Hopper, you call me Archie. Do you know why I'm here?" He asked after a few moments of silence. When Grace still refused to answer he continued hesitantly still trying to assess the situation,

"I'm a psychologist and you see Emma and Regina thought it would be helpful if I came and had a little chat with you today about some pretty complicated things that are happening in your life." Again, he paused waiting for Grace to respond, what he was yet to learn however is that she had no intention of saying a word.

"Well I suppose we should start with the elephant in the room Regina and Emma." He said with a laugh trying to ease the tension.

They were the two lady's that were in your hospital room before, do you remember them?"

He asked in what was supposed to be a consoling tone.

Grace just found it condescending. Her interest was piqued though, she was interested in what he had to say, the more information she could gather on her kidnapper's the quicker she could find a way out of this mess.

Grace slowly moved her eyes to look at the man and show that she was listening. She appraised him with a raised brow attempting to keep a straight face and hoping that the man couldn't see through her façade.

Once Archie knew he had her attention he continued,

"So, what I'm about to say to you is going to be difficult but I think your old enough to be told the facts, no matter how difficult they are." He smiled catching on to the fact that Grace did not appreciate being treated like a child. He decided to just give her all the facts and let her process them in her own way.

Archie then retrieved Regina's phone from his pocket and selected the photo's that Regina had chosen. He pulled up a photo of Henry, Emma and Regina smiling at the camera and placed it next to Grace on the bed.

"So, ten years ago something terrible happened to this family. Their daughter was kidnapped." He paused letting these words sink in, he knew that this was going to be an almost impossible thing for Grace to comprehend.

These words caught Grace's attention however and she felt her stomach sinking as she saw where this story was headed. Despite wanting to maintain her frosty exterior she reached over and picked up the phone to look at the photo.

"This is Emma, this is Regina and this is your brother Henry." He said pointing each person out in the photo.

There were three people sitting at what looked to be a round diner booth. A teenage looking boy with shaggy brown hair and the two women who had been sitting in the room with her, Emma and Regina. The two women sat grinning at the camera with their arms around each other's shoulders, face's pressed close together. They looked happy but their eyes were lacking something, it was if something had drained the light from their eyes. The boy sat next to the blonde women, her other arm thrown around his shoulders pulling him close. He appeared to be laughing and trying to get away from his mother.

"When their daughter was taken Emma and Regina submitted a DNA sample to the national database and a missing child alert was placed on it. That DNA matched the DNA sample that Doctors down in Florida took from you when you were brought in unconscious."

Archie crouched down next to Grace and swiped to the next photo. It was of a baby. But not any baby, it was Grace. That was clearly apparent, she didn't need Archie to tell her that. Grace studied the photo closely, she had never seen a baby photo of herself. Her Mother didn't have any because Grace's parents had abandoned her when she was just two years of age.

The baby in the photo appeared to be about two. She had curly brown hair that was tied into two low ponytails at the base of her head. On each ponytail, there was a small white bow. She was wearing a bright yellow ruffle capped t-shirt that was covered by short jean overalls. The baby in the picture was grinning at the camera and reaching towards the person taking the photo. She looked so happy. Not like a baby that was unloved and abandoned.

Grace knew it was her. And if these people actually had photos of her as an infant perhaps they were actually her Mothers. But that wouldn't make sense, how could two woman have a baby together, thanks to her Mother's 'talk' she knew you definitely needed a man to create a child.

But wait. If Grace was indeed kidnapped as a child and not abandoned as she was told did that make her Mother and Father responsible for her disappearance. She had always seen them as her personal angels, a couple who couldn't have children and graciously took in an abandoned orphan. Grace's mind was reeling, this was too much to think about and way to complicated.

Archie observed the small child in front of him and watched as her face was scrunched in confusion as she processed what these words would mean. Finally, he decided he would ask the question they were all wondering,

"So, before you mentioned your Mother, was it just you and her? Or did you live with other people as well?"

Silence. Even if her parents were guilty of this crime she was sure there was a valid explanation. She wouldn't throw her parents under the bus, they were good people. They wouldn't do this.

With these thoughts Grace's resolution of silence was cemented. She wouldn't say anything that was going to help her parents be labelled as kidnappers.

Archie was beginning to realise that Grace had no intentions of speaking. He knew that the use of silence was a control tactic that was commonly used among children in times of trauma where their level of personal autonomy was low. This was going to complicate the investigation if she wouldn't speak. But Archie wasn't here for the investigation though, he was here for Grace. And he knew that pushing Grace to talk wouldn't do anything but make her more reluctant to speak.

"Okay. That's alright if you don't want to talk. I understand that your probably very scared right now and you have no idea what's happening. I'd be pretty frightened if this was happening to me as well."

Grace finally made eye contact with the Doctor when he said this. She observed the scrawny shrink and saw nothing but honesty and understanding being reflected in his eyes. She liked him she decided despite her earlier reservations.

Pleased that she was becoming more receptive he continued,

"So, I'm sure you're wondering what's going to happen next, correct?"

Grace slowly nodded, still deciding if he was trustworthy or not.

"Well you've met Emma and Regina and they're pretty anxious to get to know you and bring you home." As he said this Grace began to shake her head.

Archie stopped her looking sympathetic but firm.

"I know it's scary and you don't know who these people are. But trust me their good people. Really good." He said confidently.

"And until we can figure out who you've been living with up until now and who was responsible for your disappearance you need to go with them. They're your biological parents and they've been looking for you for a very long time."

Grace's shoulders slumped dejectedly as she resigned herself to her new fate, perhaps they wouldn't be so bad.

"Once I'm done a Doctor is going to come back in and talk to you about what's actually happened to you because you haven't been told, yet right?"

He asked knowing that in the time Grace had been conscious not much of it had been suited to productive conversation.

Grace shook her head in confirmation. She was wondering what had happened. The… incident was consistent with her apparent injuries but she was curious as to what exactly was wrong with her.

"Okay I know that this isn't all the information you're probably wondering but I think Emma and Regina should be the ones to tell you the rest."

Grace scrunched her face in distaste at this comment. These people may have biologically been her parents but as her Mother often told her, blood doesn't make a family. She wasn't interested in having a new family. She was quite happy with the one she already had.

Archie chose to ignore this face, knowing it was an involuntarily reaction and drawing attention to it would do more harm than good.

"Okay, well I think we should let everyone back in the room now. Is that okay?"

Grace looked steadfastly at the bed and refused to respond. What did it matter? They weren't going to listen to her.

After a moment, Archie stood and began to walk to the door.

"Okay," He said gently, "I think I'll talk to your Mom's about scheduling a regular session. It was nice to meet you Grace."

And then Grace was alone again. But not for long.

A few minutes later the door opened and she heard several footsteps follow through. Grace turned to stare out the window, folding her one good leg under her body and awkwardly angling herself into an upright position.

Regina and Emma looked at each other nervously. Archie hadn't told them anything when he had come to collect them. He had simply given them a sympathetic smile and welcomed them back into the room with an open arm.

Before they could say anything to Grace, Doctor Whale walked into the room after them. Cursing Whale's timing the women turned their attention to the Doctor.

"Ah, Grace I see you've met with Dr Hopper." He said looking at his clipboard. "Regina, Emma." He added as an afterthought.

"Always the pleasure Whale." Regina sneered.

Whale ignored Regina completely and continued speaking.

"Alright so I reviewed the latest x-rays of Grace's foot and as you can see, here is the break. It's not too bad so I'm going go ahead and remove this cast before discharge and we'll fit you with a walking boot before you leave."

He quickly changed the scans on the illuminated screen to show the fractures in Grace's arms.

"Now as you can see the arm fractures are a bit more complex. Luckily this fracture isn't to severe and should heal in 6-8 weeks on its own. But you must be very careful while it heals because if you fall there is a very large risk that you'll fracture your collarbone due to the position of the long arm cast."

Regina and Emma listened attentively paying attention to every word coming out of the Doctor's mouth. Despite not liking the man personally they did trust his medical expertise. Grace continued to stare steadfastly out the window pretending to ignore everyone in the room, but was also secretly hanging on every word the Doctor was saying.

"Now I heard about the incident this morning and was informed that Grace hit her head but that Dr Harrison didn't think there was a concussion."

Whale approached Grace cautiously, not wanting to upset the child any further and knowing all too well that she had inherited her mother's fiery temper.

"Grace have you experienced any pain, headaches or nausea?"

As he asked he quickly flicked on his torch pen and shone it back and forward past Grace's eyes.

Grace shook her head, no. Truthfully Grace's head was pounding and she'd had an intense headache from the moment she had woken, but she'd rather walk over hot coals before she'd admit that.

"Okay good if that is all I'll get an intern to come back in a couple of minutes and go ahead and remove this plaster." He said patting the plastered leg gently.

"I need one of you to come with me and sign some discharge papers." He said turning to the women again.

Emma and Regina looked at each other quickly, silently communicating. Regina stared at Emma desperately feeling guilty but also not wanting to leave her daughters side again.

"I'll do it." Emma said after a moment.

As she got up to leave she pressed a kiss to the top of Regina's head. Regina smiled quickly already forgiving Emma for her earlier slip up.

"I'll be back in a minute okay Grace?"

Emma didn't expect a reply and she didn't receive one. Even though Grace didn't seem particularly pleased to be meeting her real parents, Emma was determined that Grace would never be alone again. Even if she didn't appreciate the efforts now she would one day. No child should ever grow up feeling unloved or forgotten, Emma knew about that all too well.

After Emma left, Regina and Grace sat in relative silence. Regina didn't want to push Grace too far, too quickly. She had been told so much information today, her whole life was upside down. Regina didn't even want to have to think about how she would go when she eventually found out about the true origins of her parents and their possession of magic.

The silence was broken as a new Doctor knocked and came into the room.

"Hello Ladies, I'm Doctor Hull."

The Doctor wheeled in a large trolley after him. Grace turned to look at the man and swallowed as she watched the large Doctor begin to set up some terrifying looking instruments. The Doctor was well over 6ft and extremely fit, his muscles bulging beneath his scrubs. He was pulling components from the trolley to make what seemed to be a mini saw.

Regina watched as Grace's eyes grew wide and her body visibly tense as she observed the new Doctor. Regina slowly made her way to the bedside once more and occupied "her" chair.

"Hey sweetheart, are you okay?" Regina's voice was incredibly tender as she took in her frightened daughter.

Grace's eyes flicked to Regina. Despite not liking the woman she much preferred her to the frightening Doctor. The Doctor noticed Grace's reservations and did his best to make himself seem as harmless as possible. He gave her a gentle smile and took his time setting up the rest of the equipment.

"I know I look scary but I promise I'm really nice." He said with a chuckle. He slowly positioned Grace's leg straight in the bed and began to assess her cast.

"So, this is a cast saw. Have you seen one before?"

Grace shook her head.

"It looks pretty scary but I promise it's impossible to get hurt by one of these okay?"

He then proceeded to turn it on and place it gently on his own arm, demonstrating the harmlessness of the instrument.

Grace jumped and covered her eyes with her arm. The Doctor laughed lightly at her reaction.

"No, no see I'm fine. This saw only cuts plaster not skin."

These words did about as much to placate Grace as his skin cutting demonstration had done. She curled her leg protectively back towards her body. The Doctor looked towards Regina for help.

"Grace look at me." Regina's words soft but commanding.

Grace in her state of fear momentarily forgot about her self-professed campaign to boycott anything to do with Regina and looked wide eyed to the older woman.

"It's going to be okay, I promise. I promise" Regina's words were firm and her sincerity rang clearly through.

Grace's eyes welled up with tears and her lip began to quiver. Regina without thinking sat on the edge of the bed and gathered Grace awkwardly into her arm's gently forcing Grace's face into the crook of her neck so she wouldn't see the procedure. She nodded for the Doctor to begin once she had a good grip around Grace's trembling form.

When the low hum of the saw started Grace openly sobbed and buried herself deeper into Regina's neck.

The procedure was over quickly and Dr Hull removed the old cast and replaced it with a bulky walking boot. Grace remained in Regina's arms for the entire procedure, soaking up the motherly comfort that she had been desperately craving since she had woken up and this nightmare had started.

When she thought rationally about it, the procedure really wasn't that bad nor was it worth this reaction. But she was just so overwhelmed with everything and the sight of the imposing Doctor armed with a sharp blade was enough to send her over the edge. Grace knew this comfort couldn't last forever but in this moment, she couldn't turn it away.

After Dr Hull left Grace hiccupped and pulled herself from Regina's arms, wiping her face and looking at the new addition to her leg. It was big, black and bulky. Rows of Velcro stretching over the plastic frame and yet it was surprisingly soft inside the boot. Grace felt like her foot was encompassed in a large fluffy marshmallow.

Regina felt a pang of longing when Grace pulled away. She felt appalled with herself for enjoying a moment that was clearly traumatic for her daughter but this was the first time she had been able to hold her daughter in ten years. She was in heaven holding her small frame against her body, for a moment everything was right in the world.

Emma returned shortly after Doctor Hull left. She looked curiously at Grace's tear stained face and Regina's pensive expression. Regina shook her head quickly indicating that she would explain later.

A nurse followed Emma with a wheelchair.

"All the discharge papers are signed so you're free to go Miss Mills."

Grace furrowed her brow, _Miss Mills?_

The nurse continued obliviously and bustled around the room to the side of the bed to help Grace down. Before she could arrive however Emma was there. Grace decided that now was not the time to fight her homecoming. What would it matter? There weren't any other options in this moment and even if she protested the end result would be the same. She vowed however that this move would only be temporary. Just until she could find out what happened to her parents after the… storm.

Grace didn't let her mind wander to the incident. She still didn't know what happened. There was so much noise and screaming and then darkness. The biggest question that was playing on her mind was how on earth she had ended up here. Where ever here was. She assumed it was America due to their accents, but America was a big place and she had no idea what state she was in or how to leave. She was almost certain her family hadn't survived. But that didn't mean that one of her Mother's sisters or friends wouldn't take her in. Yes, she just had to last in this household long enough to be able to find out what happened to her family, escape this country and move back home.

Slowly with some assistance from Emma, Grace swung her legs around to the side of the bed. Her legs felt uneven from the differing weights and her immobilised arm did nothing to help with balance. Emma wrapped her arm around Grace's waist and supported her weight as she transferred from the bed to the chair. Once she was settled Emma moved to the back of the wheelchair to grasp the handles, the nurse didn't look pleased but let it go.

"Okay Grace, are you ready to go home?" Emma asked trying to mask her excitement.

 _What I'd give to be able to go home_.


End file.
